One By One
by jang27
Summary: Yet another take on what happened after the last episode. Trying a slightly different style with less character study and more action/dialogue.
1. Chapter 1

**One By One**

Matt stood on the patio of his penthouse office after another woman left his life.

"God I love her, " he thought out loud.

The emotions emanating inside him were overwhelming to the point he was numb. He was almost used to it.

The phone rang. Reluctantly he went to answer it.

"Houston…"

"I'm gonna get you Houston. Once and for all. Start saying goodbye to all your friends," a raspy voice taunted.

"Who's this? Identify yourself!"

The voice laughed manically and hung up.

Great. Not only did he have to deal with a broken heart, he had a nut case on his hands.

He dialed Hoyt.

"Yeah, Hoyt, listen. I just got a threatening phone call that I think you should know about."

His uncle was next to get a call.

"Hey sorry to wake you up but I just got this absurd phone call. Everything okay over there?"

"Never better. Do you want me to come into the office?"

"No. Just stay put and watch yourself until we can ascertain whether or not this guy's a crack pot."

"Okay."

C.J. was next.

"Hello …" she answered groggily.

"Sorry to wake you, C.J. It's me."

"What's up?"

"I got this threatening phone call. Are you okay?"

She sat up to get her bearings and scanned the room. "I'm fine," she said, her voice lower and more awake.

"Okay. Well, just be on your toes. Call me the minute you see or hear anything suspicious, okay?"

"Will do," she answered, almost annoyed with the order. Threats and danger were commonplace for this seasoned detective. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

He sighed. "Sweet dreams, C.J."

He set the receiver down contemplating his next move. He could stay at the office and wait for another phone call. Or he could go home, try to get a good night's sleep and tackle this with a fresh mind in the morning.

He opted for the second idea.

* * *

The basement parking garage was unusually still as he walked out of the elevator. Keeping a keen eye on his surroundings, he was almost at his car when he saw something suspicious out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head slightly to the left he saw a puddle trickling towards the floor drain. When he studied it further he realized it was blood.

With an accelerated heartbeat, he followed the trail to its source which eventually led to the body of a woman. Face down it only took him a second to realize who it was.

"ELIZABETH!"

He dropped to his knees and gently turned her over.

"NO! GOD! NO!" he screamed, searching for signs of life. There was none. The blood had already drained from the multiple slashes in her neck. The wound disgusted him so much that he had to tear away from her body for a moment to lose his dinner.

With her blood on his hands he scurried to the phone in his car.

"Hoyt! I need an ambulance to my parking garage. Someone attacked Elizabeth!"

"What?!"

"Get here yesterday!"

He was being optimistic. The investigator in him knew she was dead, but still he hoped by some error on his part, that she could be saved. She had to survive this. He couldn't bear to lose her this way. All the time he was upstairs contemplating his life, a nut case was murdering the person he loved most in the world!

* * *

The police came, an ambulance came and then a coroner came. Elizabeth was dead. Matt was inconsolable. Hoyt and Roy escorted him upstairs to the office.

"I can't believe this," he said over and over, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'll go with Michael to the precinct, start sorting things out," his uncle announced gently. Hoyt seconded the suggestion.

"Sounds good."

"I'll come too," Matt offered.

They thought otherwise.

"I don't think that's a good idea. This one's too close for you, Mattlock."

"But I..." he started to protest when the phone rang.

He took a deep breath and picked it up with Roy and Hoyt listening on the other lines. "Houston ..."

"Do you believe I'm for real yet?" the voice said.

"I believe you. Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"I don't want a thing," the raspy voice continued. "Except revenge."

Click.

The men looked at one another.

"I can't believe this," Matt uttered again.

"Mattlock," his uncle suggested. "Why don't you let me drive you home, huh? Let Hoyt and I work on this. You've been through enough tonight."

Of course Matt negated that.

"No. I couldn't sleep anyway. We've got to figure out who this guy is, or who his next victim is."

"Alright if you insist. Can you tell us again, word for word, what he said to you when he first called?"

"He said 'I'm going to get you Houston once and for all. Start saying goodbye to all your friends.'"

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell C.J.?" asked Roy.

"I just called her about an hour ago."

"So, she doesn't know about …"

"No."

Roy dialed her number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Houston, I'm fine."

"C.J., it's me," Roy informed her. "Something's happened."

A knowing feeling started in her gut.

"What's wrong?"

"Elizabeth was murdered tonight."

"WHAT?"

"We think it was the guy who called and threatened Matt. Are you okay?"

She didn't answer.

"C.J.? C.J.?"

Matt heard the concern in his uncle's voice and picked up the other line.

"C.J.? Are you okay?"

She didn't answer him either.

But a maniacal laugh did. "Number two, Houston. Done."

Matt's eyes grew large. His gut bottomed out. He threw down the receiver and bolted for the elevator.

* * *

When he arrived at C.J.'s house he bypassed a broken front door and headed straight for her bedroom. He found her as soon as he rounded her bed, on the floor, gasping for air.

"Hous …" she tried as she gripped her neck.

He darted towards the bathroom, grabbed a towel, rushed back to her and pressed it on her wound. Hoyt was right behind him and immediately called for an ambulance.

"This is Lt. Hoyt. I have a woman here with a stab wound. She needs a bus, stat!"

Matt cradled her head, lifting it slightly to aid in stopping the blood. He kept a firm weight on the wound, which probably hurt like hell, but it was the only way to save her.

"Just hang on, C.J. Hang on. Help is on the way."

She wanted to answer him but she couldn't talk. She reached for him with her hand.

Then she passed out.

"C.J.! C.J.!"

He leaned closer to her chest and listened for her heartbeat. It was there, but it was faint. "God! When's that ambulance getting here?" he cried.

Hoyt rushed outside to ascertain that very thought.

* * *

It was only minutes later but it felt like hours. As soon as the paramedics arrived Matt announced, "She was conscious when I got here."

"How long ago was that?"

"About ten minutes, I think. She passed out. I was worried she died…"

"No she's still alive … barely. We'll take it from here. Are you her husband?"

"No, a friend … we work together."

"Well, you probably saved her life."

Matt took small comfort in that victory. He wouldn't relax until C.J. was conscious.

* * *

"Any word?" Roy asked as Matt felt a hand on his back.

"Not yet."

"You said she was conscious when you got there. That could mean she saw her attacker. When she wakes up from surgery she'll be able to identify him or at least give us clues."

"Are they dusting at the crime scene?"

"Yes. No news yet but Hoyt's got his best men on the case. We'll find him."

"I'm worried that when the news hits that C.J. survived, he'll come back and finish her off."

"We can keep her status confidential for a while, order round the clock protection for her while we look for this creep."

Matt stared at the hallway leading to the operating room.

"Mattlock?"

"I can't lose her too, Uncle Roy. I can't."

"Matt … you've had a horrible night. Why don't you let me drive you home, huh?"

He kept staring at the operating room doors.

"No. I can't. I've got to stay here and wait for C.J. to wake up. God only knows what he did to her before knifing her. I want to be here for her. She'll be scared, maybe confused. I'm supposed to protect her … I was supposed to protect both of them and I failed."

"Mattlock, don't. You can't blame yourself for this."

"No?"

"No you can't," he said firmly, grabbing hold of his shoulders in the process. He knew it would be awhile until Matt could deal with everything that happened this night.


	2. Chapter 2

**One By One – 2**

Matt did his share of praying while he waited for C.J. to immerge from surgery, hopeful she would be all right – she _had_ to be. Losing Elizabeth to the hands of a psychopath was his worst nightmare. He had had his fill of such horror, losing more people than he cared to count to senseless violence. The one constant and shining light – and it was a very bright light – was C.J. He was sure once he saw her face he'd feel better.

"Mr. Houston?" a woman dressed in scrubs suddenly asked. She had already been informed Matt was her patient's next-of-kin.

He bolted from his seat. "How … is ….?"

"The surgeon wants to speak with you."

His gut dropped. "Speak with me? Well, is she okay? Did she survive? Were they any complications? How bad was it?" he rambled.

She put a hand on his shoulder to interrupt him.

"Relax, Mr. Houston. She survived. The surgeon just wants to go over a few things with you."

He nodded, seemingly trying to process her news. "She survived," he repeated, glad his first prayer was answered.

She led him to a smaller waiting room. He took a seat, difficult for him to do as his pulse was racing.

As soon as the surgeon walked in, Matt rose from his seat to greet him.

"Doctor …"

He placed a calming hand on his arm and led him to back to his seat.

"I was told you're C.J. Parsons' next of kin. Are you her husband? Boyfriend?"

"Friend and coworker. How is she?" he asked with his eyes glued to the surgeon's telling eyes.

"I won't lie to you, Mr. Houston. It was pretty rough in there."

His gut dropped.

"Is she going to be okay?"

He nodded. "She should be relatively fine in time but ..."

"But?"

"Several tendons and veins were severed. Now, we repaired them as best we could but in most cases, patients don't recover full use of their nearest limb. In her case it's her left shoulder."

Matt nodded, processing the information.

"Physical therapy?"

"Yes, that'll help. And she'll also have quite a scar."

"Plastic surgery?"

"Yes, that's a possibility, but there's also her mental state. Being attacked this way can be a very difficult thing for someone to get over."

Matt already knew what he needed to do.

"Well, I'll do whatever it takes to help her."

"That's good to hear."

"Can I see her?"

"No."

"No?"

"Not right now. But soon. They're wheeling her into recovery as we speak. When she wakes up she might be a little disoriented or frightened."

"Right, that's why I'd like to be there the second she wakes up. Knowing her as well as I do, I think she'll feel better if I'm there."

The surgeon stood a moment and looked at Matt.

"That's impressive."

"Well we've always been close, kind of like family. We always try to look out for one another, especially in a time of crisis."

* * *

He walked past the curtain as the nurses finished doing their assorted jobs. Her eyes were closed but she was starting to rouse. He eased over to the other side of her bed, pulled up a chair and took her hand in his.

"C.J.? C.J.? Can you hear me? You're in a hospital. It's me, Houston. You're going to be okay, C.J."

He stopped to watch and listen for a reply as he smoothed a hand over her forehead.

"You were attacked but you'll be fine. The doctor fixed you right up. You'll be as good as new in no time."

She lifted her eyelids a second and closed them. He saw it as a sign of encouragement.

"It's okay, C.J. Take your time. I'm here. You'll …"

She turned her head towards him and opened her eyes.

"You know, you talk a lot."

She smiled after she said this, but when she checked his expression, she realized he wasn't sharing her post-op humor. How bad was she hurt?

"Hey, this is the part where the hero finds out the lady in peril is safe and goes off in search of the villain."

But still, he wasn't smiling. And his eyes look troubled … _very_ troubled.

"What's wrong?"

He wasn't sure if he should answer her or even if he _could_ answer her.

"Matt, you can tell me: What did the surgeon say? What's my prognosis?"

"You'll be fine, C.J."

"Okay … then why the face? Did something else happen?"

Almost as soon as she asked this question, she remembered something Roy had said just before she was attacked.

"Wait a minute … Elizabeth? Is she ...?" she recanted, saving him from the duress of spelling it out for her.

He nodded.

"Oh Houston, I'm so sor …"

"Yeah," he said, gently cutting her off and bringing his investigator skills to the forefront. Emotions be damned for now. Timing was of the essence. "You, uh, you remember Uncle Roy telling you about ... just before you … well, if you remember that, then do you remember anything about the scum who attacked you?"

She shook her head.

"No. He came from behind. I didn't see him, didn't even hear him. It all happened so fast…"

"Do you recall anything about his voice, his height, his smell – did he wear cologne, anything recognizable about him?"

She shook her head again.

"No."

"Well, you know the song and dance, if you remember anything at all, even the slightest detail …"

"Yeah, I know."

He paused a moment and brushed his hand along her forehead.

"I'm sorry I can't tell you more."

"Don't be. You're alive. That's the most important thing."


	3. Chapter 3

**One By One – 3**

Even though she was weighting some very serious physical injuries of her own, C.J. knew Matt's damaged soul was of a lot more concern. In all the years she's known him, she had never seen him so genuinely sad.

"Hey," she said, reaching out and grabbing hold of his hand. "If I know you like I think I know you, the best thing for you to do is to get to work and find this creep. I'm fine. I'm in good hands here. Go do what you need to do. Don't worry about me."

He offered a slight smile.

"No thanks, C.J. I'd rather stay here with you."

She didn't expect that response! Not only was it unheard of for Matt to refuse investigating a crime with a strong personal connection, but his usually strong voice wavered when he spoke. It was obvious he was going to need his best friend more than ever.

"Okay. Wanna talk about it?"

He thought about her request a moment and shook his head. Then he changed his mind and nodded.

"I don't know if I can keep doing this, C.J. I don't know if I can keep putting the people I care about in danger … or losing them. This was what I was most worried about with Elizabeth... and it came true. I was right upstairs while she was being slaughtered like ... like some animal. And then you were attacked. A part of me wants to go after the scum that did this and another part just wants to ignore it, run away … or better yet, go to sleep and wake up hoping it's all some crazy nightmare."

She sympathized.

"I understand."

"And since we have no idea who this guy is, no leads to go on, well, my place is here for now. There's no telling when or how he'll try to finish the job."

She shuddered at the thought but hid her concern by squeezing Matt's hand, recalling a time a few years back when he relied on security to keep her safe. But seconds after he left her, she was attacked again. If he hadn't been close, she would have been killed.

"You've always made me feel safe."

"I'll be damned if I'll let anything else happen to you."

She melted at his words.

"I wish I could remember something about him."

"Maybe you will in time and if not, well maybe it's good you don't."

She looked at him quizzically.

He explained. "This kind of attack can be real difficult for someone to get over. Someone comes into your home, grabs you from behind and stabs you. Still not sure how you managed to survive … You're going to need assistance and support to recover from this. As you heal, you're going to have a lot of pain."

"The same could be said for you too."

He looked at her a bit startled at the statement. But as he thought about it, he realized it was true. The idea of recovering from his broken heart was undaunting to him. He'd have to go through long arduous motions to get passed it - _if_ he could get passed it.

"Hey," she said tenderly, "I'll be fine. I don't want you worrying about me."

"Too late," he said with a mix of emotions.

She smiled, appreciating his attempt at humor and the sentiment behind it.

"Well would you at least do something for me?"

"Anything."

"You've been up all night, right?"

He nodded.

"Get something to eat. Get some rest too. Please take of yourself. You've had a hell of a day."

"You could say that agin."

Just then a nurse poked her head around the curtain.

"Excuse me, Mr. Houston?"

"Yes …"

"There's a Roy Houston here to see Ms. Parsons. Is it okay if he comes in?"

He looked at C.J. for her answer. She nodded her head towards the direction of the waiting room.

"See. Perfect timing. Go."

He sighed, "Okay," then rose to kiss her on the forehead. "I'll only be gone a few minutes."

* * *

"Mattlock, how is she?" Roy asked anxiously as soon as he saw Matt's face.

"She's okay, I think. She's being really brave - either that or it's the pain medication. It'd be naive to think she won't suffer some physical _and_ mental repercussions, especially when it comes back to her."

"Oh, so she doesn't remember anything about her attacker?"

"No, she said it happened too fast."

"Well, maybe in time she'll recall some details. She's just out of surgery. Anesthesia can affect memory."

"Yes I suppose."

"How are you holding up? Have you had any rest? Anything to eat?"

"No, and save your lecture. I just promised C.J. I would get something to eat. Would you stay with her until I get back? I don't want her to be alone."

"No problem. Be glad to."

* * *

"I'm worried about him," she confessed.

"That makes two of us."

"I wish I could do more to help."

"You being alive is help enough. Do you have any idea how lost Mattlock would be if he had lost you too?"

She bit her lip. "This is a tough one. He really loved her. He's been through so much."

"So have you."

"I'll be fine. Well actually, I'll be fine as soon as we lock up this creep. How is Hoyt doing with this? Were there any fingerprints? Were they any clues left behind?"

"Nothing."

"So right now me and my shattered memory are all we've got."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You just got out of surgery."

"Yes, but maybe there's something I can do in the meantime."

Roy looked at her the same way he looked at Matt once or twice in the past.

"What are you thinking?" he dared.

She took a deep breath.

"Well, if this guy's so hell bent on killing Houston's friends, let's make it easy for him, set a trap ... and ... use me as bait to flush him out."

His eyes practically doubled in size. "What?! Are you ... Use you as ... Do you know how ... Matt would never go for it!"

"I'll handle it. I'll talk to him."

"You're crazy! Do you know how risky it is ... especially in your condition!"

"But Roy ... it's the only way. We need to bring this creep to justice ... and fast. There's no telling who's next on his list."


	4. Chapter 4

**One By One – 4**

Matt did his best to swallow some food. But every time he lifted his fork to his mouth he saw the haunting image of Elizabeth's mutilated body. It turned his stomach so much he couldn't eat two bites. Eventually he gave up and made his way back towards C.J.'s room.

Roy and C.J. were making small talk when he arrived. As soon as their eyes met his, they looked at him curiously.

"Did you …?" they asked in unison.

He patted the sides of his stomach.

"Uh huh. Stuffed," he lied, topped off with a smile.

Roy stood up and made an excuse to leave.

"Well, I'm going to go back to the office and see if there are any updates. Mattlock, I assume you'll be staying here a bit?"

"Yes."

Roy made eye contact with C.J. as he exited. Matt caught their expressions.

"What was that about?"

"What was _what_ about?"

"You know. That look you gave each other just now."

C.J. stalled a moment, trying to think of a believable lie.

"We were just saying how concerned we are about you. Like I said before, you've been through a lot. Roy was hoping I'd get you to talk when you're feeling up to it."

As sweet and thoughtful as her excuse was, there must have been something about her delivery that wasn't convincing. Matt looked at her with a sideways smile.

"Nice try."

"What?" she asked, partially dubious and partially curious.

"You were talking about something else, something you don't want me to know about... at least not yet."

"No really. We're both very concerned about you."

"C.J. …"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. There didn't seem to be a way to avoid stalling.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you the truth if you fess up too."

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You didn't eat anything, did you?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes.

"What, are you psychic or something?" he said as he resigned and took a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"You can't hide much from me. I know you too well. Houston, talk to me."

He sat forward in the chair, only to let it slump against the back of the chair and exhale a long breath.

"I can't get the image of Elizabeth out of my head. The way she looked, lying there in the parking garage. The way that creep butchered her body. She was so beautiful. He took that from her … and more."

She reached out her hand and placed it on his.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to say anything. I know you well, too. So well I know you have something on _your_ mind. Care to share?"

She bit her lip. He wasn't giving her much time. Maybe he switched gears so fast because he wanted to focus on something else to give him respite from his tragedy. Maybe this idea of hers would go better than she thought.

"I have an idea."

His brows lifted at that news. "Did you remember something?!" he asked excitedly.

She shook her head. "No. I didn't. Wish I had, but I've been doing some thinking on how we can catch this creep."

He patted her hand.

"You don't have to worry about that. You've been through enough. Let Hoyt and his department handle things."

Hoyt and his department? This didn't sound like Matt at all!

"I know but I want to help. We can't let him get away with this."

It sounded like something _he_ would say.

"No I guess we can't," he said with a heavy sigh. It was the kind of sigh that showed his weariness on the subject. "So what's your idea?"

"Well, now just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay ..."

"I've been thinking this over in my head a bit and ... well ..."

"Well?"

"Look I'm not naive. I'm sure he'd love to finish me off."

"C.J. don't ..."

"Wait. Why don't we use that to our advantage? Set a trap. Use me as bait to flush him …"

Before she was finished with her sentence he rose from his seat and started shaking his head.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"Houston, hear me out."

"No way C.J. I can't risk losing you!"

"But if we don't catch him he might come after me anyway."

"No C.J."

"But …"

"I don't want to hear another word about it! You're in no shape if you'd have to defend yourself against this guy. He's a violent, violent butcher."

"But Houston …"

"Do you realize how close you came to dying just a few hours ago, huh? Do you realize how bad you're injured? I swear it must be the pain meds. If it is then I'll be the voice of reason. You're in no shape to make such decisions and the more you can be uninvolved with this matter, the better."

"Hous …"

"I don't want to hear another word about it!"


	5. Chapter 5

One By One – 5

With the intensity in Matt's voice, C.J. decided to table the discussion for now. At least she got to plant the seed. Maybe Matt will soften to the idea in time. But did they really have time? She wasn't sure. But what she did know was that Matt needed to sleep. He had been up all night, put in a 14-hour day and hadn't stopped to rest at all. Now it was dinnertime and the lack of sleep was catching up with him.

"Want some?" she offered, nodding to her tray of food.

"Huh?" he asked, just about to nod off in his chair.

"I said, "Are you hungry?'"

His stomach growled... loudly.

"Nevermind. Eat," she ordered.

He shook his head.

"Houston … Come on. Just one bite."

He rolled his eyes.

"C.J. I told you ..."

"Houston ..." she said in her low, lawyer voice. He may have won the argument in regards to her safety but it didn't look like he was going to win this one. Besides, how could he resist such a plea from C.J.? Especially since it smelled so good.

He leaned in closer, took hold of her fork and dug into the mash potatoes. After one bite, he took another… then another. C.J. smiled.

"You might as well take the whole thing."

"What are you going to eat?"

"I'm not that hungry."

"Might be the pain medicine. You should still eat. Keep up your strength."

"And you should sleep."

He put down the fork.

"Boy, I can't win with you. Okay. Fine. If I promise to rest for a little bit, will you eat something?"

"Yes."

By 7:00PM the nurses had finished making their rounds and C.J. was settled in for the night. Not only could Matt use some sleep, she could too.

He arranged to stay the night in the bed normally assigned another patient. Sure there was security just outside her door but another layer personally protecting her was even better, he argued. He eventually won his case, much to the dismay of the hospital staff. The straw that broke the camel's back was when he pointed out they would not want to lose a patient to a killer. Besides the ethical dilemma, it would bring a lot of bad publicity.

Sleep proved to be their friend, at least for a little while. By 1:00 AM, C.J. was awakened by pain. It wasn't the kind of pain she'd ever known before. It was so deep, so sharp, so intense that it hurt just to breathe.

"Hous –" she tried, when a stabbing pain similar to her original injury railed through her. It hurt to speak, too.

She tried again only to be met with more pain.

She scanned the room looking for another way to wake Matt. She kicked the bed rail several times.

No luck. She tried again, this time banging it for almost a minute until she heard Matt finally rouse from deep sleep.

"What?" he mumbled as he stirred.

She banged the railing again.

He climbed off the bed, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked groggily as he turned a light on.

He saw the answer to his question in her tear-filled eyes.

"C.J.?" he asked anxiously.

"Pain!" she mouthed.

He looked up at the IV pole. The bag was empty.

He made a mad dash for the hall.

"Someone help please. Ms. Parsons woke up in severe pain!" he exclaimed as he ran towards the nurse's station.

The pair of nurses there looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"C.J. …" he said, almost out of breath. "She's in a lot of pain."

One of the nurses looked down at her clipboard.

"Ms. Parsons isn't due for her pain medicine for another three hours."

"Well, the bag is empty and she's in a lot of pain. I've never seen her like this!"

Curiosity got the nurse's attention and she rose from her desk and walked with Matt down the hall towards C.J.'s room.

When they arrived they noticed the door closed. When they tried the handle, they found it locked.

Matt shook the door handle vigorously. It wouldn't budge.

He stepped a few feet back and kicked the door in.

And there he saw a man … braced on top of C.J. … with a knife in one hand and his other hand grabbing hold of her jaw. She was in so much pain she was completely paralyzed. She couldn't fight back at all. She was totally helpless.

Matt immediately sprung into action and attacked the man from behind, making sure to pull the hand wielding the knife away from C.J.

But the man was larger than Matt and he shrugged him off, causing Matt to tumble onto the floor.

The nurse ran back into the hall and summoned for security just as Matt shook his stunned body off the floor. There was no way in hell he was going to let the monster who killed Elizabeth and brutally attacked C.J. win this contest.


	6. Chapter 6

**One By One – 6**

Matt gritted his teeth as he approached the man – or rather monster, who was holding the knife too close to C.J. for anyone's comfort. When the man saw him out the corner of his eye, he leered at him – through his ski mask – then turned and made the quick decision to drive his knife into C.J.'s side.

"NOOOO!" screamed Matt as he lunged at him and grabbed hold of the knife before he could strike.

The knife cut into the skin on Matt's hand - his boxing hand - but he didn't care. In one fell swoop he grabbed the man by the arm and threw him to the ground. Immediately he started kicking him in between his legs forcibly causing the man to release some high-pitched wails. On the fourth kick, the man had enough and grabbed Matt's foot and threw him off-balance, causing him to fall hard onto the floor. But it was only for a second. While the man was distracted with his throbbing crotch, Matt rebounded with a fierce determination that came deep from within. He started kicking him in the head more times than he could count. Each blow to his head felt more and more cathartic. He didn't care if he beat the man to death. It felt so damn good.

Security personnel arrived in the form of two men, who upon first look, thought they should restrain Matt.

But Matt quickly negated that.

"This guy's a murderer. You want to do something? Get more reinforcements in here and the nurse stat. She's in a lot of pain!"

The guards glanced over at C.J., then each other. One made a beeline for the hall while the the other stared at the scene a moment before doing the same.

Seconds later two of L.A.'s finest rushed into the room with Lt. Hoyt right behind him. Normally Hoyt wouldn't have been so close at hand but his sleep had recently been disturbed by a call about imprisoned serial killer who had escaped - a killer Matt had helped put him behind bars a little over a year ago. He put two and two together and wanted to waste no time in telling/warning Matt.

"Houston!" he shouted while three of them made an attempt to restrain Matt.

But he wouldn't stop.

"Houston!" Hoyt cried again. "This isn't going to help matters! C.J.'s in no position to defend you in a courtroom!"

One would think the last thing Matt wanted to do is give C.J. more to handle. But it didn't stop him at all. It couldn't. His adrenalin was in high gear.

"Houston!" Hoyt shouted again with his hands pulling at Matt's arms. "C.J. needs you!" It would be the only way to change his mind set.

Breathing as hard as a bull in the ring, Matt stopped long enough to glance over at her. She didn't look good. He rushed to her side.

"C.J.? Oh God C.J. Hold on," he said as he gripped her hand. Only then did he see he notice the blood oozing from his wound. He grabbed the pillow from the other bed and used it to stifle the blood.

But just as Hoyt and his officers went to arrest the man, he bounded off the floor, pushed them away and ran out into the hall.

"Don't let him get away!" Matt shouted.

Hoyt and his officers tore out of the room in search of the monster.

A nurse and orderly rushed into the room right after them.

"Please help her. Hurry," pleaded Matt.

The orderly affixed a new bag on the IV pole while the nurse adjusted her IV connection to her arm. It had been partially torn off in the struggle.

Tears puddled in C.J's eyes as she set her jaw firm as a way to combat the pain. She couldn't cry without pain. She couldn't breathe without pain.

Matt kept a hold of her hand firmly with his good hand, letting her channel her pain through him. "It won't be long now, C.J. You'll be okay real soon. The medicine works real quick … right?" he asked, glancing up at the nurse.

"Yes. And we also better get the surgeon in here to check her stitches."

She finished securing the connection and opened the drip.

"Okay. You should feeling better in five, four, three, two …"

C.J. took a slow labored breath and let out several small cries.

"Thank you," she said through her tears.

Matt squeezed her hand.

The nurse noticed his other hand, bleeding into the pillow.

"And it looks like we'll have to have the surgeon look at your hand too."

Matt acknowledged her with a nod while keeping a fix on C.J.'s face. Her pain was subsiding but her tears weren't stopping. There was something about the man that frightened her more than anything in the world.


	7. Chapter 7

**One By One – 7**

When Hoyt returned he saw Matt being treated for cuts to his hand. As soon as Matt saw Hoyt's telling face, his gut sank.

"Uh oh. Don't tell me you lost him."

"That guy was strong … very strong."

"You lost him."

"I couldn't believe it. Three of us and he…"

"You lost him."

He sighed. "Yes we lost him."

"Steve Otto?"

Hoyt's brows lifted. "How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess."

"He tampered with C.J.'s IV."

"Yes. And failed his mission. I wonder if he'll move onto the next victim or if he wants C.J. out of the way first."

"How is she?"

"Shakey at best. She's been through a lot. The doctor's with her now - checking her stitches. It's the only way she would have let me leave the room."

"We might have to move her – to an undisclosed location."

"She won't be completely safe until Otto's dead."

He saw the determined expression on Matt's face.

"Don't tell me you're even remotely thinking … I thought …"

"What? That I'd come to my senses? No Hoyt. You shouldn't have stopped me. I could have claimed self-defense."

"Oh Houston. Always got to be the avenger, the hero."

"You ought to try it sometime. Gets the job done."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"You figure it out. The so-called protection you arranged for C.J. was useless."

"Which is why I left a warm cozy bed in the middle of the night with a very understanding wife who hasn't seem much of me lately. As soon as I got the call, I was on my way here to tell you."

"I hope you put out an APB on him."

"Yes, and since you put a few dents in him, I alerted all the hospitals and clinics in the greater L.A. area."

"You should have let me finish him off," he reiterated.

"C.J. needed you."

"Yes, but …"

"No buts. You did the right thing."

"No Hoyt. Not with C.J. having to live every second of her life in fear."

Hoyt moved closer to Matt and stared him right in the eyes.

"Houston, listen to me. You've got to think rationally. You're emotionally charged right now. Trust the people around you. You can't make decisions about this."

"Are you kidding me? That monster killed Elizabeth and nearly killed C.J.!"

"Really? I had no idea. Houston, let us do our job. Stay away from this case."

"Stay away?" he almost laughed. "I didn't go anywhere, remember?"

"Look, I know how you feel. There's nothing more you'd like to do than to beat the living daylight out of him. But you can't. You just can't."

Matt's expression turned reflective and somber.

"God, I'm so tired of this."

"Pursuing criminals?"

"That and worrying about my friends, losing people I care about."

A nurse came into view.

"Excuse me, Mr. Houston?"

"Yes. Dr. Yates is done checking over Ms. Parsons. She's asking for you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

As soon as Matt walked into the room he noticed the taxed expression on her face. She, in fact, looked exhausted.

"Are you okay?" they both asked in unison.

"You first. Are you in any pain?" he asked.

"Not the physical kind."

He sat on the edge of the bed.

"How's your hand?" she asked.

"Only needed six stitches. I'll be fine in no time. How about you?"

"Unnerved. I can't believe I actually offered to use me as bait."

"Don't be hard on yourself. I think it was the pain meds."

"Did Hoyt catch him?" she asked.

Matt paused a moment before shaking his head.

"What?" she cried.

"He got away."

She released more tears.

"How ...?"

"I'm getting you out of here just as soon as I can."

Her tears continued but she fought it.

"Do we at least know who he is?"

"Steve Otto."

"Steve Otto? I thought he was in prison … state prison?"

"He escaped last night."

"Are you sure it was him? Did you see him without the ski mask?"

"He was as big as him."

"But stabbing wasn't his m.o. He strangled his victims."

Matt thought about this a moment. "You're right."

"And Elizabeth was killed two nights ago, not last night."

She was right again. Perhaps Hoyt was right about Matt being overly emotional and not thinking clearly.

"Well either way, I'm getting you out of here."

"I'll go anywhere … as long as you stay with me."

"You got it C.J. Don't worry about a thing. I'm not leaving you out of my sight for a second."


	8. Chapter 8

**One by One – 8**

Hoyt walked into the room the next morning a few minutes before C.J. was going to be transferred to another hospital.

"You're timing's perfect, Hoyt," said Matt.

"Oh?"

"Yes. We don't think Otto's our guy."

"What?"

"You said he escaped the night before last? Elizabeth was murdered two nights ago."

"Oh... that's right."

"And Otto's always been hands-on with his attacks, not wielding a knife," C.J. added.

"Not to mention Otto's a certified mute."

"So, it couldn't have been him who taunted you on the phone."

"Right."

Hoyt heaved a sighed. "So, where does that leave us?"

Uncle Roy walked into the room having overheard the end of the conversation.

"Perhaps split personality disorder?"

"What?"

"Could it be possible that Otto has killed in both ways?"

"In both ways? That would mean he's killed more people in the past than we first thought?"

"It's a stretch."

"Or maybe he's not acting alone on this. Maybe he's someone who prefers working with an accomplice," suggested C.J.

"How about I run a search on Baby looking for any past criminals Matt's help put away with the dates of Steve Otto's prison sentence? Maybe he's joined forces with someone he shared a cell with?" Roy offered.

"Sounds good," said Matt.

"I'll call the office and ask Chris and Murray to get started on it right away."

"And I'll go back to headquarters, make some phone calls and see what I can dig up," Hoyt offered.

Just before Roy left, he discretely handed Matt a small leather bag.

C.J. noticed and raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Matt replied, acting clueless.

She rolled her eyes. "You know what."

He shrugged. "I just asked Roy to bring me something."

"Okay ... what is it?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing for you to be concerned with."

"Houston ..." she said firmly with her eyes trained on him, forcing him to cave.

"Okay, okay ..." he said as he pulled out the leather case. She recognized it immediately.

"A gun ..." she said with a sigh of mixed emotions.

"Now just hold on. It's just in case you need to defend yourself. I want you to keep this as close to your person as possible."

"Houston ..."

"Just in case," he reiterated. "It'll make me feel better just knowing you have it."

* * *

Matt had managed to control every detail of C.J.'s secretive transfer. All the time he doted on her, constantly checking to see if she was comfortable to the point where she was almost getting annoyed.

"Now, are you in any pain?" he asked for the umpteenth time as she settled into her bed.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."

"Fine, huh?" he remarked just as a nurse entered the room.

"Hello. I'm here to help Ms. Parsons," she announced.

Matt turned around and studied her hospital ID.

"How long have you worked here?"

A little put-off, she stared back at him. It wasn't the greeting she expected.

"I, uh, have been a nurse here for three years."

"How long have you been a nurse?"

"Uh, about five years."

"Do you know any one in prison? Ever kept company with anyone violent?"

C.J. pressed her lips together. "Houston ..."

"Not that I know of ..."

Matt studied her further, trying to also ascertain if she looked competent. Simple and basic chores like showering or dressing took great amount of painstaking time and technique for C.J.. She had to have a nurse assist her.

"C.J. has been through a lot. I don't want her to endure one more second of pain or discomfort."

"You have my word, Sir. I just want to take Ms. Parsons' vitals and check her wound. I'll be very gentle."

He stared at her moment, then looked back at C.J.

"I'll be right outside, okay?" he said as he tenderly touched her cheek with his fingertips.

"Okay," she said as she watched him leave. As soon as the door closed C.J. offered an apology.

"Sorry."

"It's okay."

"If it makes you feel any better, you should should have heard him grill the ambulance drivers. He wanted to know if they ever had any parking tickets."

She laughed. "You're lucky to have a husband who is so doting."

C.J thought about correcting her just as the phone rang. She waited a few more rings deciding whether or not to answer it.

"Hello ..."

"You think you're so smart, trying to outwit me," the voice said.

A shiver ran up her spine. It was _him_. But she couldn't panic. She had to think fast, take advantage of the opportunity. She pushed her emotions aside and brought her detective skills to the forefront.

"Who is this?"

"I'm not going to tell you," the voice said, almost laughing.

"Why not? You're going to kill me anyway."

This statement caused the nurse to look up. C.J. motioned for her to get Matt while she continued egging the voice on, trying to get him to talk as much as possible.

"Well I don't believe you. If you wanted me dead I would have been dead already."

"You will be soon. As the saying goes, you can run but you can't hide."

"Well you're either a liar or the most incompetent criminal in history," she stated just as Matt rushed into the room and grabbed the phone from her.

"Now listen here, you coward! I'm going to find you and you're going to pay for what you did! You hear me! You won't get away with this!"

The phone clicked. Matt stared at the receiver.

"What happened?" C.J. asked.

"He hung up."

He slammed the receiver down in frustration.

"Damn it. How'd he know you were here?"

"Doesn't matter. I know his voice. I know who it is."


	9. Chapter 9

**One By One - 9**

He looked at her with intensity.

"You know who it is?!"

"Yes."

"Who is it?"

"Jesse Mercer."

"The phony preacher?!"

She nodded.

"It does makes sense. He tried to have you killed once. I'm sure he'd love to have his revenge on me. How sure are you?"

"Very sure. And I wager a bet that he and Steve Otto did time in the same prison."

"I'll call Uncle Roy and ask him to research that very fact on Baby. If it's true, we'll finally be one step ahead of him thanks to you," he said as he picked up the phone and dialed, enthusiasm apparent in his voice.

She took the compliment with a grain of salt.

"But how did he know I was here?"

"I'll work on that next but in the meantime I'm going to get you out of here … and this time, no one is going to know where you're going ... except me. Hello, Uncle Roy…"

C.J and the nurse exchanged glances, neither one of them thinking it was a good idea to her to move so soon. So C.J prepared for battle. She knew she had to plead her case carefully – Matt was teetering on the edge, making decisions based largely on emotions. Normally he was good in these types of crises but that was before he lost Elizabeth and nearly lost her in the same day.

He hung up the phone.

"Uncle Roy's working on it now. Nurse, would you help me pack some medical supplies?"

She glanced at C.J. before responding.

"Sir, I really don't think that moving her is a good idea."

"We don't have a choice. It's not safe to keep her here. Now, what do you think we'll need? Some bandages, maybe some …"

"Houston," C.J. interjected. "I don't think it's a good idea either."

His eyes grew to twice their size.

"WHAT? C.J. you heard the man. He knows your every move. It's not safe to stay here!"

She turned to the nurse.

"Would you excuse us for a second."

"Sure."

She swung around and looked at Matt.

"Houston, I really think we can handle him better if I stay here."

"Oh this again. C.J., you just said not more than a day ago that you couldn't believe you wanted to be used as bait. Now, you're recanting? Is it the pain meds? I bet it's the pain meds."

"It's not the pain meds. Look," she said, her voice lower. "I have a gun now."

"But C.J. …"

"Houston… I'll be fine."

"It's too risky."

"Not as risky as moving again."

"I disagree," said Matt.

"Of course you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, slightly offended.

"Would you look at yourself? You're running high on emotions, Houston. Take a moment to think pragmatically. Take some advice from me, huh?"

"I'm trying to protect you. It's bad enough what you went through. I can't lose you like I lost her!"

"I know but I really don't want to move again so soon. I'm not up to it yet. And you're here. Nothing will happen to me as long as you stay by my side."

"But what if I got you out of here, set you up in the office, huh? That's a lot safer. And we can access Baby, solve this problem faster, together ... like we always have," he said with his eyes so tender and caring.

She sighed. He was hard to debate when he looked at her that way. She soldiered on.

"Houston, I'm just not up to it."

"Not up to it?"

He studied her a moment, then softened and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"This one was too much, huh?"

She nodded.

"And ..." she started, fumbling with her hands.

"And?"

"What if I run out of pain meds or ..."

He covered her hands with his, stopping them, causing her to meet his eyes.

"C.J., you've always been able to handle these kinds of ordeals. You'll heal quickly from this. I know you will."

She shook her head adamantly. "But I've never known pain like this before."

Oh that was it. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek.

"I'll make sure you don't hurt for a second. Wouldn't dream of it."

She managed a smile. Then she reached deep inside of her ... and regrouped.

"Okay, so how about a compromise?"

"A compromise?"

"Yes. How about we stay here one night? And, if I feel better tomorrow, we'll move," she said as she looked at him with her intense warm hazel eyes. She was hard to resist when she looked at him that way.

He heaved a heavy sigh. "God, I hope I don't regret this. Okay C.J. One night."


	10. Chapter 10

**One By One – 10**

Matt couldn't sleep. He lay in bed thinking about everything that had happened in the last few days: Elizabeth's murder, the attack on C.J., Steve Otto, Jesse Mercer.

He glanced over at his friend glad to see she had drifted off to sound sleep. It gave him some peace of mind knowing she was getting the rest she needed.

Maybe it was a good thing he couldn't sleep. He had to be on his guard. He agreed to her compromise so he had to fulfill his end of the bargain. Yes, she had put a name to her attacker but he couldn't let his enemies win this contest. Too much was at stake.

He must have drifted off for only a second when he felt a presence in the room. He opened one eyelid slowly, hoping it was a nurse.

All of a sudden he felt a hand grab him around the throat.

Matt forcefully pushed the hand away, but the man attached to the hand held onto him as he did this, causing Matt to land on top of him as they propelled to the floor. A struggle ensued as they fell against pieces of furniture, causing a series of disruptive noises.

C.J. started to stir. She opened her eyes, trying to get her bearings. What were these noises she heard amongst exclamatory grunts?

And then it hit her.

Matt struggled with the man but the man was much stronger and pelted him with his fists. One of those blows hit him square in the temple, causing Matt to lose consciousness.

C.J. looked towards the source of the noises to see a very large man in a ski mask approaching her.

She reached for her gun with her good arm, planted discretely under her pillow. But the man quickly grabbed her arm and climbed on top of her.

He brought her bad arm above her and pinned both of her arms down, causing her great discomfort. He lowered himself closer to her much to her horror, all the while she cried in pain. It was obvious he was looking for a bonus to his assignment.

He released one hand off of her and clasped her two hands together above her head as she screamed. Then he held both of her hands down with one hand while his other hand went to loosen his belt.

Now would be a good time for Matt to wake up, C.J. thought. A _really_ good time.

The man fumbled with the button on his pants waist as she tried to kick him as hard as she could with her legs. But he was heavy and had her pinned down. Her heart beat more rapidly than it ever had, praying, hoping that her worst fears were not coming true as she grimaced from the unfathomable pain she was enduring.

The pain was so excruciating that for a moment – a fleeting moment – she wished he'd killed her and end the pain.

But no, she thought. It was time for her survival mode to kick in.

She screamed, then screamed again louder, trying to alert anyone. There had to be hundreds of people in the hospital. Someone would hear her!

Matt was starting to rouse. He blinked several times trying to get his bearings, feeling the effects of the man's fists on his face. When his vision field cleared, he couldn't believe what he saw.

"NO!" he screamed a he clamored to his feet as the man turned towards him for a moment.

"C.J., get him!" exclaimed Matt, noticing the prime opportunity.

She reached under her pillow and retrieved her gun, noticing Matt approaching to the right behind the man. No, she couldn't hit the wrong target. She had to nail the bastard ... but he wouldn't hold still!

Matt climbed on the bed behind him and wrapped his arm around the man's neck trying to at least distract or stall him. With his adrenalin running high, he managed to set him off-balance enough to push him off the bed.

Matt went tumbling onto the floor with him. He tried to put some space between them. He wanted to give C.J. the opportunity for a clear shot.

It looked like her only choice was to fire when the man was on top of Matt.

She aimed and pulled the trigger, but the bullet missed her target.

"Again! Again!" Matt called out.

She aimed a second time, pulled the trigger … and fired ... this time wounding the man in the back of the neck.

Blood spattered in every direction as the man fell to the floor. Matt scrambled to get out from underneath the man's mass.

He used his foot to turn him over and pulled off his mask, not caring if he was injuring him more.

"Steve Otto," he confirmed between breaths.

Otto grabbed for the back of his neck while he struggled to breathe. And then he gasped once, twice … and he was dead.

C.J. kept a firm hold on the gun, ready to fire again if need be as security personnel ran into the room.

"We heard gun fire!" one of them exclaimed.

Matt nodded towards C.J. as he made his way to her.

"C.J., it's okay. You got him. You can put the gun down."

She finally pulled her eyes off the bloody carnage on the floor and looked at Matt. She still hadn't lowered the gun so Matt reached over and gently did it for her.

"It's okay. You did good. You got him."

She watched as Matt's hand guided the gun downward and put the safety on it. She turned and looked at Matt.

"Is he?" she asked in between labored breaths.

Matt nodded. "Your plan worked. It's over."

The phone rang. A curious Matt picked it up.

Before he even said hello, a voice on the other end declared, "You may have won the battle but you haven't won the war, Houston."

Click.


	11. Chapter 11

**One By One – 11**

"Was that …? Don't tell me ..." C.J. asked as Matt put the receiver down.

"Yes. It seems the celebration will have to wait. He said we only won the battle, not the war."

It was then that the pain C.J.'s body had pushed aside to endure her attack came railing back. Matt noticed right away.

"C.J. …" he said as he placed his hand on her wrist, encompassing and gripping her hand in the process.

Her nurse and several medics in the room noticed the expression on her face, too. They wasted no time in treating her.

"C'mon," her nurse said, seeing the carnage across the room. "Let's get you to another room."

Matt watched as they hurriedly unhooked several wires and pushed her bed into the hall and into a room several doors down. He stayed right with her, keeping his hand on hers her in the process.

As soon as they were in the room he relinguished her hand so they could treat her. A nurse noticed his face, sat him down and started examining his temple.

"You might have a concussion," she said as she pressed a cold compress on his face at the point of impact.

He could care less about his face. He was more occupied with C.J.'s condition. He stretched his neck to see past the hand treating his wound.

"Is she going to be okay?"

"That's what we're trying to determine."

"She's in pain," he stated, just as the medic was about to ask for himself. "The man who attacked her pinned her arms down and …"

The medic rolled his eyes and continued.

"On a scale from one to ten, what is your pain level?"

"A ten," she managed. He immediately reached for a vial and inserted a needle into her I.V.

Matt's attention turned to the doors opening up.

"They're in here," he heard a nurse say.

Lt. Hoyt and Uncle Roy appeared.

"What happened?"

Matt took hold of the compress, stood up and stepped into the hall with them.

"Steve Otto is what."

"Did he get away again?"

"No. He's dead. C.J. shot him."

"C.J. killed a man?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you have your gun?"

"I gave it to C.J. figuring she'd be better off with it than me. Guess I was right."

"I'm gonna need to get statements from both of you. Hopefully your stories will match so we can write this off as an open and shut case of self-defense."

"Okay, just go easy with her, Hoyt. Otto did more than try to kill her."

"More?"

Matt stared back at him hoping he would figure it out.

"Okay. I'll have one of my female detectives speak to her."

"Thank you. And as soon as you're done with us, I'm getting her out of here. Mercer is still out there. I don't think he'll rest until she's dead. And there may be more."

"More?"

"Yes. I was thinking, the voice on the phone that taunted me at the penthouse – it wasn't Jesse Mercer's. It was someone else's."

"You think there's more people behind this besides Mercer and Otto?" asked Roy.

"Unfortunately yes. What did you find out from Baby?"

"Not much. I've seem to hit a road block. Murray hasn't had much success either."

The wheels in Matt's brain were turning.

"Okay. Don't worry about it. I think I know how we can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak."

* * *

After they were done with their respective statements, Matt announced quietly, "I'm getting you out if here, C.J."

She nodded without pause. She wasn't going to give him any argument this time.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place safe. In fact, the safest place we could possibly be."

C.J. knew instinctively what he meant.


	12. Chapter 12

**One By One – 12**

Matt started making all the arrangements for his plan to keep C.J. safe. It was quite a list:

1\. Call his contractor friend and have him temporarily convert the office gym into a bedroom, making certian all mirrors are covered.

2\. Call the medical supply store, have them deliver a specialized bed.

3\. Have Chris go to C.J.'s house (accompanied, of course) to gather up some of her belongings.

4\. Have Will fly the chopper to the hospital roof top. It would be the quickest, safest route possible to the office – another advantage. It also bypassed the parking garage, a place forever stained with the grizzly murder of Elizabeth.

5\. Hire her nurse to help with the transition – at least for a few days. He was sure C.J would be better in that time frame (at least better enough to take care of herself).

She was comfortable during the flight, welcoming the change of scenery. Up in the sky she felt the safest and most relaxed she had in days – she was sure Matt liked it too.

As soon as the chopper landed he rushed around to her side, carefully lifted her out and set her down, keeping a supporting arm around her as he helped her inside.

Once C.J. was settled into her bed, her nurse took over the responsibilities as Matt went to work upstairs.

She had dosed off fairly quickly - thanks in part to the pain medication. When she awoke several hours later, her nurse was there to greet her.

"Hey there."

C.J. blinked several times, trying to ascertain her whereabouts. Her nurse seemed to read her mind.

"You're in the gym of your office. Your husband had it fixed up for you."

C.J. blinked some more. Husband?

"I ... He's … " she started, remembering she hadn't corrected the nurse on their marital status. Maybe she should do that one of these days...

"Are you in any pain? Thirsty? Hungry?"

All questions C.J. couldn't answer. Her silence stumped the young nurse.

"Miss Parsons?" she pointedly asked. But her body was too preoccupied with shivering and shaking.

"Are you in any pain?" the nurse asked again.

She couldn't answer. Her shaking wouldn't stop!

"Can I get you something?"

"Wh ... where's Houston?" she finally managed.

"He's upstairs."

"Houston …" she echoed softly.

"Okay. I'll go get him."

As soon as Matt heard footsteps from behind him, he stopped what he was doing and swung around.

"What's wrong?" he said as soon as he saw the nurse's telling face.

"She just woke up. She's trembling."

"Is she in any pain?" he asked as he started making his way downstairs.

"Not sure. She asked for you."

"Thank you. C.J.?" he immediately called out as he rounded the bottom of the stairs.

As soon as she heard his voice, some of her anxiety quelled. When she saw his face she felt even better... and a little embarrassed too.

"Hi," she nervously said as her hands and arms wrestled with anxiety.

He took a seat on the side of her bed and took hold of those shaking hands.

"You alright?"

She nodded. "Uh huh."

"Are you in any pain?"

"I don't think so."

"Is there anything I can get you?"

She nodded. "I think I'd like to get out of this bed for a little bit, maybe go upstairs."

He looked at her with concern.

"You up to it?"

She nodded again, this time with more confidence.

"I want to track down the bastards that did this."

"Okay. Nurse Wendy will help you get dressed. Chris brought some of your things from your house."

She offered a grateful smile.

* * *

Several minutes later, C.J. made her way upstairs. After several days of being bed-ridden to agonizing pain, she felt she had conquered a mountain in doing such.

Matt assisted her to her usual seat in front of Baby. To the right of the keyboard was a plate of food.

"Normally I wouldn't set food next to Baby but I figured it would be easier for you. You need to eat."

She managed a smile but looked at the food with ambivalence. Yes, she probably would feel better but her insides had taken over where her trembling hands left off.

"Okay. I'll try," she said to appease his offer. "Why don't you bring me up to speed on what you've got so far."

He nodded. "Well, not much I'm afraid. I've never been much of a typist, especially with one bad hand, plus I keep running into dead ends. The last time you were here was on a Friday, and that's when you usually update Baby's passwords, isn't it?"

She nodded while she stuck a corner of the sandwich in her mouth, freeing her right hand.

She clicked on the keys, gingerly, slowly, entering the passwords one by one. Then she opened a list of perps she kept in a file – perps that Matt helped put away. From there she searched Baby's contacts for those already incarcerated to those awaiting trial. A few had unfortunately bargained their way out of lengthy sentences because they had information on even bigger, badder perps.

From there she gave Baby the command to sort through it all, coming up with three names:

Steve Otto

Jessie Mercer

Adrian Harcomb

"Adrian Harcomb?" Matt verbalized. He hadn't even thought of him. "Wait, a minute. I think he's the voice I heard on the phone the first night."

She entered another command on Baby, locating the prison they were all sentenced. It matched. Furthermore, Mercer and Harcomb were released within days of each other. Otto, as they knew, broke out within the same time frame.

"Well how about that, C.J. You did it. We'd better call Hoyt with this information."


	13. Chapter 13

**One By One – 13**

Several days went by with no instances. Matt didn't let his guard down for a second though. He kept a constant vigil at the office, monitoring every sound, every coming and going. It was a new normal they were becoming accustomed to. Even Secretary Chris warmed to the armed guard stationed by the elevator. At least he was cute, she reasoned.

C.J. was staring to heal… at least physically. During the night she often mumbled in her sleep, tossing and turning. Matt was awake enough to witness it. He knew she was dealing with the aftermath of being attacked so brutally. He wasn't naïve. He knew it would take both of them several months if not years to completely get over their respective ordeals. He was handling his emotions through avoidance of the parking garage – the scene of Elizabeth's horrible demise. Turns out he also had to deal with the presence of the patio - the last place he saw her alive. He hoped time would cure the negative feelings evoked by that too.

Late one evening, almost three weeks after taking residence in the office, Nurse Wendy was the last to leave. Matt made sure she was escorted by the armed guard as always. She had C.J. settled in for the night – having helped her change her clothes, wash, and administer pain medication. Soon, she warned Matt, C.J. should start weaning herself off the drugs. Matt took the advice and nodded, unworried, knowing C.J. was not the type of person who had any track record with addiction.

He locked the elevator and checked the lock on the door to the stairwell. Secured. Then he checked it again. Super secured.

He made his way to the couch ready to watch a ball game via Baby. C.J. was probably already asleep downstairs. In an hour or so he'd join her, sleeping on the other bed set up in the gym.

All of a sudden he felt the building shake. Was it an earthquake? He braced his hands on the couch, waiting to see if it would happen again. A few painstaking moments later, he felt the sensation again.

He rose from the couch and headed downstairs.

"C.J., C.J.!" he said urgently, knowing how soundly she slept after taking her medication. "C.J.!"

She mumbled.

"Hmm … what?"

"Earthquake," he simply stated as he touched her arm.

"What?"

The building shook some more. Then the phone rang. He answered it.

"Houston …"

The connection was full of static.

"Get out now. Bomb," was all he could make out. He thought it was Hoyt's voice.

"What? Did you say 'bomb'?" he asked again only to be met with more static.

He sat on the bed next to C.J. and supported her with a hand on her back.

"Come on. We've got to get out of here."

"Why … where are we going?"

"Someplace safe ... hopefully."

"I thought we were in the safest place possible?"

"Right. Past tense. Were."

He helped her rise to her feet. When he saw her take a few steps with confidence he set about gathering up some of their belongings.

"Go ahead," he instructed her as he walked behind her.

But as soon as she got to the top of the stairs, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her.

He heard the commotion and rushed to where he saw Adrian Harcomb with an arm secured around C.J.'s waist and a gun to her temple.

"One move and she gets it."

"What do you want?"

"Are you dense? I want revenge. I want you to watch her die."

Without saying a word, Matt and C.J. silently communicated between one another: act now. In one swift motion she elbowed Harcomb in the gut with her good arm while Matt went for their enemy's armed arm. A struggle ensued, all the while the building shook. It felt like the foundation was crumbling beneath them.

C.J. ran for a phone as adrenalin overrode the effect of the drugs. When she picked it up there was no connection. She clicked the button several times nonetheless.

"Hello! Hello!"

No use. She went to the elevator door and knew enough to place her hands on the door before pressing the button.

Hot. That meant there was surely a fire behind those doors.

It also meant they were trapped.

Meanwhile, Matt and Harcomb were taking swings at each other, the gun gone missing in the melee.

C.J. feverishly searched for it as the two men ended up on the patio.

She spied it on the floor by the piano and picked it up with both hands. Yes, it hurt like hell to handle it but this was a do or die moment if there ever was one: Harcomb had Matt pinned against the wall overlooking the city.

She gripped, she steadied, she waited for an opportunity. And then... she saw Matt's eyes silently communicating with her again.

 _Fire, C.J.!_

She pulled the trigger.

Harcomb was hit.

The force sent him over the side of the building.

Matt immediately grabbed C.J.'s hand, turning her away from the wall.

"Come on. Let's go."

She stopped him.

"We can't. Fire."

He glanced at the helicopter.

"It's our only way out."

He retrieved the bags he hurriedly packed and started the engine.


	14. Chapter 14

**One By One – 14**

When C.J. awoke, she didn't know where she was. It didn't help that it was dark. She could tell she was in a car, but where? As she adjusted her eyes she heard Matt's familiar voice.

"Hey C.J. We're here."

"Here?"

"Yes. Colorado."

"Colorado?"

"Yes. You remember? My old friend from college, Tom Ellers? He told me I could use his hunting cabin anytime I needed. I figured this was as good as time as ever to take him up on his offer."

"Oh, right," she said, pausing a bit to process the information. "Sorry. I guess I don't remember much about the flight."

"Yeah. You pretty much slept through the whole thing. How ya feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"No. I don't think so..."

"The cabin is about three miles from here. It's almost 5 AM. I thought you'd be hungry for breakfast. I thought we'd grab a bite before heading up there."

"Okay."

They walked into the Blue Lodge Diner where they were met with two patrons sitting in the far corner and a short order cook.

"Sit wherever you'd like," the cook yelled from the kitchen as soon as he saw them.

"Thank you."

They sat down in a booth and started looking over a menu.

"So where are we exactly?" C.J. asked.

"Far enough away from anyone who wants to hurt us ... a town called Rifle, not too far from Aspen."

"Did you talk to Hoyt?"

"No, and I bet he's fuming right now. But I had to make a quick decision. The chopper was our only way out and L.A. isn't safe anymore."

"Did you tell Uncle Roy?"

"No. I'm hoping he'll see the chopper gone and figure it out. The less people who know our whereabouts the better - even him. I know we left a mess back there but the best thing for us to do is hide out until you're stronger. I'll let everyone back in L.A. worry about catching Mercer."

"He's the only one left I haven't killed, isn't he?"

Matt somberly nodded.

"And it isn't just me who needs to get stronger, it's you too, right?"

Surprised by her observation, Matt just stared back at her.

"I still see the hurt in your eyes, Houston. I know how much you loved her, how much you miss her."

"Yeah, I know I need closure, find the reason this happened ... if there is one. I'll get through it. It's not like I haven't been down this road before… you either."

"I know but it's a lot harder this time, isn't it?"

He reflected on her statement before nodding.

"I keep wondering when you're going to tell me you've had enough of this crazy profession, when you'll reach you're breaking point. You know, I wouldn't blame you if you did."

"My breaking point would be if something happened to you... and that hasn't happened yet."

He melted at her words.

"Yeah. The same would be true for me. I'd crumble into a million bits if I lost you, especially now since ..."

"Well, we're both still here. Maybe there's a reason for it."

He half-chuckled. "Damned if I know what it is."

The waitress appeared at their table.

"Good morning… good very early morning. What'll it be? Some coffee?"

"Hi. Yes, I'll take some. C.J.?" Matt asked.

"Yes. I'll take some too," she answered.

The waitress disappeared and came back within seconds with two mugs. As she filled up the mugs, she asked, "So, what'll it be today?"

"I'll take some bacon, eggs, toast… oh and make the eggs scrambled. C.J?"

"I'm not that hungry. Maybe just some toast."

Matt gave her a surprised condescending look. "Just toast?"

"Okay, maybe some eggs … eggs over easy."

"Okay. Be back in a few minutes," she said just before walking away. Matt smiled.

"After breakfast I thought we'd stop at the local general store and get some supplies. I saw a sign for one on the way here."

"We're really in the middle of nowhere, aren't we?"

"I guess you could say that. Tom claims it has the most beautiful scenery this side of Wyoming though. I can't wait until the sun's up to see it for ourselves. He also said it's great place to forget all of one's troubles."

"Sounds perfect. I can't wait to see it all, too. Tell me, though, what kind of amenities does this cabin have? Electricity? Running water?" she said with a laugh.

He took a long moment to answer her. Her smile went away.

"Uh oh," she said. "Sounds like we'll be roughing it."

"Don't you worry about a thing, C.J. I'm sure it's nothing we can't handle."

"Maybe it'll actually be a great break from L.A."

"Might be."

"Is there medical care somewhere nearby? I'm not sure how long my pain medicine will last," she said with anxiety in her voice.

"There's medical care, but I won't lie to you, it's a one doc town. And as far as pain medicine, well, really you should start tapering off those drugs anyway."

Her anxiety worsened. "Houston…"

He reached across the table and grabbed ahold of her hands.

"Now don't worry about a thing. If things get really bad, I hear there are some locals who are experts in the plant business, so to speak."

Her eyes widened. "Houston!" she said with an excited whisper. "That's illegal."

He leaned in closer to her. "Won't be the first time I've broken a few laws to help a friend in need."

"What's this about breaking laws?" the waitress asked with two large plates of food in her hands.

"Uh, nothing," Matt answered, realizing he needed to keep an unsuspicious profile. "My wife here likes to tease me on my speeding tickets," he said with a wink.

"Oh. Crazy driver, huh?" she asked.

C.J. stared hard at Matt. "Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it," she quipped, playing along.

Matt made a face, prompting a smile from his "wife".

The smile, in turn, made him smile too.

Yeah, this "one doc town" might be just the thing they both needed.


	15. Chapter 15

**One By One – 15**

Roy and Hoyt wiped their brows, surveying the mess formerly known as the penthouse office suite.

"Phew! These guys just don't give up."

"No, they sure as hell don't."

"A bomb and another dead body."

"I see the chopper's gone. That's probably the way Matt and C.J. escaped."

"Did Houston call you? Do you know where they are?"

"No, he didn't. My guess is they got as far away as possible. With everything that's happened, Matt probably figured the best place to be was somewhere nobody knew... not even me. I know he'd do anything to keep C.J. safe."

"But we're left holding the bag."

"Well, we can probably piece together what happened: Harcomb went after Matt and ended up over the balcony. "

"Coroner said he had a bullet in him. With the gun missing we don't know if it was Matt or C.J. who shot him. I'd love to wrap this up with a simple self-defense explanation but with the two of them gone, it's impossible. Now they're officially persons of interest. I'll have to issue an APB."

"And alert every cop in the state? No way! If you do that Matt and C.J. won't have a chance!"

"My hands are tied."

"Can't you at least find a way to stall?"

Hoyt breathed a deep sigh. "Well, _maybe_ I can stall until the release of the autopsy."

"There you go. And in the meantime, we can look at the positive: at least we have one less suspect."

"But unfortunately no way to track Mercer down. It doesn't look like Baby will be functional for a while, if ever."

"You can still put an APB out on him."

"Yes, we can but we've got be more advanced in our efforts, possibly less traditional. We're not playing with the regular run-of-the-mill criminals here. We've got to think more cleverly."

"You're sounding like Matt."

"Maybe I am but in this case that might be the right thing to do."

"Yes, and Matt may have the drive and the ability to get inside a criminal's head, but C.J. is the one who can put the pieces together. Somehow we're going to have to solve this one without, what is in my opinion, one of the best detective duos in the country."

* * *

"Wife, huh?" she asked out of earshot of the waitress as they made there way to the car.

He shrugged.

"It just came to me that we should keep an alias of sorts, so we don't draw any suspicion. We're just a couple on vacation."

"Wanna use a different last name?"

"We probably should."

"Got one in mind?"

"Well ... Smith or Jones might seem too obvious, so how about … Stone?"

"Stone? Okay. Sounds good. Should we come up with a back story?"

"Sure. How about we're from Florida … you're an accountant, I'm a general contractor."

"We met on a cruise ship…"

"To Nantucket."

"Nantucket? Why Nantucket?"

"Just sounds good. Anyway, we dated for two years and you were about to break up with me when I popped the question."

"We eloped the same night. Our wedding was a quick trip to Vegas."

"Hmm and once couples get married, they usually get asked if they're expecting. How about we were planning to start a family when you hurt your shoulder playing tennis?"

"Tennis? Must have been quite a game."

"Well, you aggravated an old injury you got when you were 20 … preparing for the Olympics."

"The Olympics? Really?"

"Hey, what can I say, you're good."

She sighed. "Okay. And what about the stitches on your hand?"

"Nail gun accident… roofing. My partner tripped over the nail gun and well…"

"You're lucky you weren't killed!"

"And you're lucky you will only miss one Wimbledon tournament. You should be ready to compete for the next one, though … if you stick to your rigorous training schedule."

She shot him a sideways smile just as she spied a small billboard.

"There: general store, one mile."

They drove in the direction of the store, taking in the scenery that was unfolding before them as the sun rose. It was beautiful, with colors they couldn't put into words. They approached the parking lot with optimism and climbed out of the car. Inside they found a true general store with everything from fish bait to dresses.

The store was busy with early morning hunters and fisherman. At first they just smiled as they went about their business but C.J. soon found the atmosphere too stressful.

"Matt," she said, touching his arm. "I think I need to step outside."

A look of concern came across his face.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "I will be." He watched as she left the store, worried about her mental state.

He exchanged small talk with the cashier as he kept glancing outside. When he returned to the car he immediately asked. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Yes. Sorry."

"You don't need to apologize."

"I guess I'm not quite ready for crowds. I felt like everyone was looking at me."

"You're not paranoid. Every one _was_ looking at you. A store full of men who probably haven't seen a good-looking dame in awhile. Take it as a form of flattery."

"I don't feel flattered. Just annoyed."

"I can understand that after what you've been through. But when you're ready, at least you'll have plenty of choices."

"I really don't get turned on by good ol' boys in flannel, Houston. Not my type. You should know that."

He looked at her curiously.

"Actually, no. I'm not sure what is your type."

"Huh? You of all people! I've shared plenty of my ups and downs with the men I've dated over the years."

"Yes, and they all seemed like nice, sophisticated, classy guys with good paychecks."

"Okay. So?"

"They didn't work out, now did they?"

"What's your point?"

"Maybe you should consider the good ol' boy type. Opposites attract you know."

She took a deep breath about to scold him for that comment when she felt a sharp pain in her neck/shoulder.

"OW!"

"You okay?"

"Why don't we just get to the cabin, okay?"

"Okay."

She was feeling anxious, in part to the cabin itself. She didn't want to admit to Matt that she wasn't up to her usual roughing-it -back-to-nature vacation. She wasn't at her best. And although she had her doubts about _completely_ healing from her wounds, she figured she'd keep that herself for a while. Matt had done so much for her … and had done so while going through his own hell.

As they traveled up a windy dirt road, some of her nerves were immediately quelled when the cabin appeared at the top of the hill.

Sure there were some weeds and small broken branches about, but the ranch-style cabin looked rather inviting.

She approached with caution nonetheless as Matt found the key behind a dusty milk can sitting on the front porch and opened the door.

As the light peered into the cabin, they could see the layout: stone fireplace, wood floors, expensive leather furniture, a state-of-the-art kitchen. She walked around, taking it all in as Matt watched her.

She swung around and gave him a scolding expression.

"You liar. You said we'd be roughing it."

He shrugged. "Tom always had expensive taste. But I really didn't know for sure 'til I got here. I didn't want to get your hopes up just in case."

She walked around in search of the bathroom.

Found it. It was nice with two sinks, a separate shower area, and spa-like details.

Then she went in search of the bedrooms. Around the corner she found one bedroom … just one.


	16. Chapter 16

**One By One - 16**

"Problem," she said returning from the bedroom.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"There's only one bedroom."

He immediately checked the same rooms she just checked. Then he took a closer look at the living room furniture.

"There's probably a pull-out bed in one of these…" he said as he made his way to the love seats and sofa. He lifted one cushion at a time until …

"A ha! One pull-out bed. I'd be happy to sleep here and let you have the bedroom."

She managed a half-hearted smile.

"What's a matter?" he asked. He thought she'd be pleased.

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"It's just that I …" she glanced away, trying to find the words.

"Do you want the sofa bed instead?"

"No … "

"Well then. What's wrong?"

"Well …" she stammered some more. "Since this whole thing began, you've uh been only a few feet away."

He approached closer and took her hands.

"I'll be just a feet further. Think of this as the next step in becoming independent again. You can leave the door open and I'll sleep with a light on if you'd like. Okay?"

She smiled more genuinely.

"Okay."

The rest of the day they settled in with Matt doing most of the work, C.J.'s pain level still at a ten anytime the meds wore off. He didn't like her being on the meds but the sleepy side-effects was probably helping her to heal.

While she was asleep, Matt took the opportunity to leave the cabin – keeping it in his sight at all times. He explored the grounds immediately around it, noting some light chores he could do sometime. He found a fishing pole and some supplies and decided to sit down at the nearby creek.

He gazed out onto the water imagining what it would be like if his daddy was with him now. What he would say to him, what wise advice he'd give in return. Oh he missed him.

It was a common thread weaving through his life – people he loved whisked away without a chance for closure. Sure he still had lots of friends like C.J., but she was not herself at all. Often he could lean on his best friend when he was down but she wasn't strong right now. He hoped she'd be her old self eventually but something inside him was fighting that notion. He wondered if she had reached her breaking point and just didn't want to tell him.

The fish tugged on his line and brought him back to the job at hand. He pulled back, reeling in the fish with all his strength. It took him several minutes until he could get him under control but when he brought him to dry land he celebrated. Yes! A beautiful rainbow trout! He unhooked the trout and re-baited his line for another chance. Within minutes, he felt the same tell-tale tug at his line and reeled in another one. He couldn't wait to get back to the cabin and show C.J.!

She awoke from her nap a bit groggy but well-rested overall. What did she feel like doing? After weeks of sponge baths she was good and ready for a shower. But could she do it alone?

She made her way gingerly to the bathroom, turning on the shower and removing her clothes ever so slowly as the room filled up with steam. She winced from occasional sharp pains realizing she would have to direct the water away from her wound – at least at first. She knew it would feel so good to revitalize the rest of her body with the warmth of the water.

Little by little she indoctrinated her skin under the water, taking great precaution until she realized she could go all in. Once she was under the water she realized how wonderful it felt. A week's worth of dirt and sweat removed almost like she was removing some of the events that left her in this state.

She stayed there probably longer than she should have but she couldn't help it - it just felt so damn good - the best she had in weeks.

Afterwards she shut off the water and wrapped herself in a large plush towel. With renewed confidence she thought she'd try something else she hadn't done in a while.

She stood in front of the mirror with her eyes closed, contemplating looking at the scars on her body while the steam cleared. She had been avoiding it for days, but today her curiosity was greater than her fear.

She took a deep breath and slowly lifted her eyelids. And there, as plain as day, she saw the telling evidence of the assault. Deep, thick reddish scabs four inches wide at the widest part tapering to an inch. The thinnest part started on the side of her neck and slightly downward diagonally to her chest. Over a dozen dark wiry stitches framed the crude wound.

How hideous, she thought. She closed her eyes, trying to erase the image she just spied, but it was already implanted in her brain, possibly eternally. She opened her eyes, this time her vision clouded by tears. She wiped away the tears only to have them reappear.

She sobbed and must have done so loud enough it alerted Matt who was back in the cabin by now. Concerned, he made his way closer to the sound of her cries. When he neared the bathroom, the partially opened door lent him a glimpse of her standing in front of the mirror. Damn, he thought. He had forgotten to cover the mirrors.

His first reaction was to turn away and give her some privacy. But then he heard her say something heartbreaking.

"God, look at me. Who'd ever want to sleep with me now?"

"I can think of a few," he thought to himself.

She reactively gasped and spun around.

It was then he realized he had said those words out loud.

"What?" she asked, trying to swallow her tears.

"I .. uh ..." he stammered, confirming his presence, gazing at her tenderly for some time. It left her guessing as to what he was thinking.

He swallowed hard, finding it difficult to take his eyes off of her. He had never seen her like this before. The way the towel framed her athletic yet feminine silhouette, exposing her tanned limbs, covering up what he had never seen. The way her dark wavy wet locks framed her warm hazel eyes and pretty face was a true site for sore eyes.

The moment was almost too much for him yet he couldn't seem to move from his vantage point. For some reason all he could think about right now was doing something that would definitely be considered crossing the line.

"Houston?" she said, breaking his fix.

No, his mind finally argued. This wasn't the time. She wasn't ready. He wasn't ready. And besides, if he dared, she might end up like all the women who loved him.

He tore himself away from her and darted outside. Perhaps he could find more fish to catch.


	17. Chapter 17

**One By One – 17**

C.J. wondered if Matt left so suddenly because her scars were too disgusting to look at or if seeing them reminded him of the guilt he felt for putting her in such a bad situation.

No wait. There had to be something else going on. This was her best friend after all. She had never seen him act like this before. Intrigued, she decided to get dressed and investigate the matter further.

Matt darted back to the creek, finding himself dealing with a bevy of emotions. He stopped and rested against a nearby tree to catch his breath.

"God, Daddy. I wish I knew what to do," he voiced as he closed his eyes for a moment. "I can't go on like this. Please tell me what to do. Why did Elizabeth have to die? Why did C.J. have to be so brutally attacked? How can I ever find true love if everyone I ever love is taken from me? C.J.'s all I got left. If it wasn't for her I'd lose my mind. And she's so beautiful. But we work together. If we … God, I'd mostly surely lose her. That's what always happens. I can't. I just can't …" he rambled.

After the tricky, methodical process of dressing in a button-down plaid shirt and jeans, C.J. opened the front door and spotted the fish. Putting two and two together she figured Matt was probably back at the creek, pondering life in some much needed quiet time alone. She could honor that. In the meantime, she could give cooking a try. Maybe it would help her rebuild some motion if not some strength in her arm.

As she began that slow and arduous task, she thought over her predicament. Over the years she had been victimized by some of Matt's enemies through sheer association. How much longer could she put herself at risk? This latest drama left her scared to fall asleep alone – something she had never been. If it wasn't for the pain medicine, she wouldn't sleep at all at night. Had she reached her breaking point?

A few minutes later she heard him walk onto the porch. When he opened the door, he immediately smelled the fish.

"I see you found the fish," he said without presence of emotion.

"Yes, I did. It's almost done."

"It smells good. You didn't hurt yourself, did you?"

"No. I was careful. The pan was already on the stove."

She turned off the heat and went to lift the cast iron pan off the burner when she realized how heavy it was.

"OW!"

He immediately rushed over to her.

"Here! Let me help you."

He came up from behind her with both arms reaching around her and helped her lift the pan off the burner.

"Thank you."

And then he just stayed there, enveloping her in a bear hug ... tightly. C.J. didn't know what to make of it.

"We should, uh, probably eat before it gets cold," she offered.

But he didn't budge.

She could feel his breath on the side of her face, his muscular arms encompass her, his physique pressed against her in one of the most physically intimate moments they ever shared. She wondered what he was planning to do next, whether or not she should break free … or segue to something else.

"Uh yes. We probably should," he finally said as he removed his arms from her.

They sat at the table eating their dinner in silence, the only sound being the occasional clink of forks against plates. There was no television, no radio. It was the perfect opportunity to talk but there was a palpable awkwardness between them.

The silence got to Matt first.

"Good fish."

"Thank you," she replied, relieved they were conversing. "I wondered how you managed to catch it. How's your hand?"

He glanced at it and flexed his knuckles.

"It's getting better. Probably time to see the local doc and get the stitches out."

"I can't wait to get my stitches out. So ugly. I keep wondering how bad the scar will be."

"Is that why you were upset this afternoon?"

She nodded.

"Sorry about the mirror. I totally forgot," he said.

"It's okay. It's not your fault. I guess I had to see it eventually."

"For what it's worth, I didn't even notice it."

"Really?"

"When a man sees a gorgeous woman in nothing but a towel, little things like wounds go unnoticed."

She blushed.

"It sounds like your time alone today was good for you. You're sounding more like your ol' masculine self."

"Maybe. I don't think I'm there yet. Lot of thoughts going through my head."

"Any you want to share?"

"Just looking for answers. Kind of feel I'm at a crossroads."

"I think I know what you mean."

"Yeah?"

She nodded.

"Houston, I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Okay. Sounds serious."

She took a sip of water and swallowed.

"I have a confession to make."

"Oh?" he asked, very curious.

"You know the pain meds you and the nurse wanted to me to taper? Well … uh… I haven't been taking them just for pain ... although I do have pain…"

Matt watched her eyes for signs of her next words.

"Go on."

"I … uh… have been taking them … well they're helping with … "

"Yes ..."

"They're helping me ..." she paused, looking him right in the eyes. "They're helping me sleep."

He gave her a non-judgmental smile.

"That's totally understandable."

"But, I've never had to do that before and it got me thinking, not that it's the first time, but…"

He looked at her quizzically.

"What is it C.J.?"

She bit her lip. "God. I hope you don't take this too hard, but …"

"Take what too hard?"

She took a deep breath.

"I uh ... I really don't think I can do this anymore, Matt," she said with emotion creeping in her voice.

"And by 'this' you mean …"

"Private investigating," she said with a lump her in throat.

"Oh boy. Wow," he said as he put down his fork and sat back in his chair.

"I'm sorry to tell you all this now. I know you're dealing with a lot."

"How long have you been thinking about this? Was it just since the attack?"

"I've actually been thinking about it for about a year … ever since Mercer tried to kill me the first time."

"A YEAR? And you didn't tell me?!"

"I was afraid to."

"AFRAID?!" he asked, looking offended.

"Yes."

"Of what I would say?!"

She shook her head adamantly. "No, not really. Afraid of change. Afraid of not seeing you everyday… missing you."

Matt rose from his chair and started pacing, running his hand through his hair in frustration ... while C.J. waited anxiously to hear what he was going to say.


	18. Chapter 18

**One By One – 18**

As she watched him pace she worried she had said too much.

He stopped.

"So let me get this straight: the only reason you've been sticking around is because…"

"You," she plainly said. "We work good together but I can't keep denying how badly the job's affecting me. You got to admit, it has been a little tough the past two years. You said it yourself - how tired you are of the rat race, worrying about people you care about… losing people you care about."

He moved closer to her and took her hands in his.

"It has been tough, but even though I'm tired I don't think leaving is the answer. I think we just need a long break, time to heal, like you said, from our respective wounds. Look, we can stay here as long as we like. We can even go somewhere else if you want. Just please, give it time."

"Matt, I've thought long and hard about this. It's not a knee-jerk reaction."

"I know but … look, why don't we just at least sleep on it? It's been a long day. Let's discuss this further when we've both had enough rest."

Even though she doubted she'd change her mind by tomorrow, with the way he was looking at her, she feigned a smile. "Okay."

* * *

The phone rang and Roy was quick to answer it.

"Hello ..."

"Roy, it's Michael. The APB on Jesse Mercer worked. We found his apartment. Can you meet me at 30187 Highfield in a hour?"

"Better. I can meet you there in 15 minutes."

When he arrived Hoyt had a search warrant in his hand along with the building manager.

"Even if he isn't here, we're prepared."

"Good thinking."

A uniformed officer knocked and announced himself but there was no answer. He knocked again. "Police! Open up!"

Again no response. The building manager used his key to unlock the door.

With weapons drawn, they slowly opened the door.

"Mercer!"

No answer.

The officers went inside and immediately searched for signs of occupancy. None.

"All clear!"

Roy and Hoyt entered as the search for evidence began.

"Lieutenant?" one of the officers quickly announced. "Look: knives, guns, medical uniforms, weights."

"Hmm, weights, huh? Obviously his time in prison with Steve Otto had an effect on him. Get this bagged and tagged."

Roy spied a desk and started thumbing through its contents with his gloved hand.

"Michael ... look. A receipt. Plane ticket. Colorado."

Hoyt walked closer to the desk.

"Colorado? Hmm. Wonder why he would going to Colorado?"

"Maybe he knows something we don't."

* * *

C.J. woke up in a start and glanced over at the clock: 2:15AM.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. She didn't want to be awake at this hour.

She wasn't the only one up, she soon discovered. There was light coming from the partially open door to the living room.

She slowly climbed out of the bed, slipped on her robe and walked out to the living room where Matt was wrestling with something in the kitchen.

"So much for either one of us having a good night's sleep I see."

He looked up. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Not at all. I guess I wasn't that tired. I probably slept enough earlier in the day. How about you?"

"My hand was itching so badly, I found myself scratching it. Past experiences with wounds tells me it's a good sign. Itching equals healing."

"Thinking of seeing the local doc?"

"That's the other thing. I can only imagine trying to convince a doctor that our wounds _aren't_ from knife attacks. I don't want to cast suspicion. Maybe there's a way I can remove them myself. I've certainly seen it done enough times," he said as he wrestled with a pair of needle nose pliers.

"Here. Let me help you," she offered, taking a hold of his hand and the pliers. "I've had some experience with this too."

Her close proximity to him gave him pause. "Yes, you have bandaged me up a few times over the years..."

"More than a few times," she said with a smile.

"Did you take the pain meds tonight?" he asked, regrouping a bit.

"No. And that's probably another reason I'm awake."

"Are you in pain?"

"A little. I think it's coming from the stitches pulling at my skin."

"Hmm. How about after we're done with my hand, I get your stitches out?"

"That sounds great but don't you think it's too soon, Dr. Houston?"

He smiled. "I'll go slow and easy."

"Slow and easy? Doesn't sound like Matt Houston's style," she said with a smirk.

"Well maybe I should try something different for a change. You know that old saying about the definition of insanity?"

"Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?"

"Yes."

"It's good advice. Kind of reminds me of another saying I heard once."

"Which is…?"

"Failures are God's way of saying you're going in the wrong direction."

He stopped, looked at her and repeated the quote.

"Failures are God's way … in the wrong direction..."

"You never heard that before?"

"No …"

And then he just stared out into space as she pulled out the last stitch.

"There. How's that feel? Better?"

He didn't answer.

"Houston?" she asked.

"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"Your hand. Does it feel better?"

He flexed his knuckles.

"Oh. Yes it does. Thank you. Your turn."

She loosened her robe and unbuttoned the top button of her pajamas top, exposing her shoulder but keeping the rest of her chest covered ... making her look as sexy as hell. He tucked her hair behind her ear … and then gazed at her.

"How's it look?" she asked.

"Beautiful," he answered.

"Huh?"

Still staring, he ignored her response.

"Houston?" she asked again.

But he ignored her comment and proceeded. C.J didn't know what to make of it.

"Let me know if this hurts, okay?" he asked.

"Okay."

He started working on the first stitch, taking care to lift the end of it gently before cutting it.

"How's that, okay?"

"Fine."

He continued on, somehow managing the delicate task of removing her stitches ... while also wondering what it would feel like to kiss her.

"Done?" she asked when he stopped.

"Yep. Wanna take a look at it?"

She shook her head nervously. "No. Not really."

"You sure? It looks better."

"Nope. That's okay."

"Alright. Does it _feel_ any better?"

She readjusted her top, then tried moving her arm in a circular motion.

"I think so," she said … until she went a little too far.

"Ow!"

"Careful!"

"Okay, well I guess I can't move it too much yet."

"No, it'll take some time. But I know you, C.J. Before you know it you'll be all better and back ..."

"... and back into the rat race?" She sighed. "Houston... I haven't changed my mind..." she said as she watched him walk away from her and pace. "Houston?"

"Rat race ..." he mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"Like a rat going through a maze, constantly taking the route that leads to a wall. He knows it's there, but he keeps repeating the same maneuver, over and over …"

He stopped and slammed his fist on the counter.

"Good God, C.J. I've been a freakin' rat!"

She made a face. "Well I for one wouldn't exactly call you a rat. Maybe a horse of a different color or a dog or a even a frog, but not a …"

"Very funny. Don't you see, C.J.?"

"See? See what?"

"Why all these horrible things happened."

"I don't follow…"

"I've been going in the wrong direction... and I've been too damn stubborn to see it ... and enough is enough!"

"Okay ..." she ventured. "So what are you planning to do about it?"

"Well I've got to go in a different direction."

"Which means …"

He moved to within two feet of her and looked directly into her eyes.

"This," he said as he took hold of her face with his hands and kissed her.


	19. Chapter 19

**One By One – 19**

Roy bounded into the makeshift office - a.k.a. Matt's beach house - with a plan in mind. Murray and Chris were already there, feverishly trying to organize it into something functional.

"Oh good. You're both here."

"How did it go with the move on Mercer's apartment?"

"Mercer wasn't there but we did find a receipt for a plane ticket to Colorado. I have a feeling he's heading there because that's where Matt and C.J. are. We've got to get to them before Mercer does!"

"Okay, but how do we reach them? We have no idea where in Colorado they could be."

"Do Matt or C.J. have any friends in Colorado?"

"None that I know of. Murray?"

"None that I can think of. But how about researching their credit card activities? That might pinpoint where they are."

" _If_ they're using credit cards. I have a feeling they're avoiding anything that would leave a trail."

"What's puzzling to me is how Mercer always seems to know their every move, why he's always one step of head of us," a curious Murray asked.

"That's something Hoyt's working on right now. In the meantime, any chance we can get Baby working?"

Murray sighed. "I can try. I'm synching Baby's back-up disk with this computer as we speak."

While Murray did his part, Chris started thumbing through Matt's rolodex, seeing if any names had a Colorado address while Roy tackled C.J.'s files. When Chris got to the E's, she noticed one of the cards had been torn out.

"I think I found something."

"What is it?" Roy asked.

"Someone with the last name starting with an E - the card's missing."

"Hmm. Maybe Matt took it."

"If he was in a hurry, he might have."

"Do you know any friends of Matt's whose last name starts with an E?"

"None recently."

"What about maybe friends from college or high school?"

"A yearbook," Chris thought. "I think I saw one around here somewhere."

They immediately sifted through various cardboard boxes until they found Matt's college yearbook. They opened it up and thumbed through the alphabetical portraits until they got to the E's.

"Let's see... there's a Diana Edwards and a Thomas Ellers."

"Either name ring a bell?"

"Afraid not. Got any other ideas?"

"Wait," Murray announced. "I think I've got something here."

"Is she working?"

"Seems to be... although I don't know how good."

He typed in a name.

"Diana Edwards."

They waited.

Baby flashed a message.

"No files found."

"Okay," he said, regrouping. "Tom Ellers."

They waited.

Baby flashed a message.

"Tom Ellers... 34... San Francisco..."

But that was it.

"Nothing more?"

Murray clicked a button again.

"Nothing."

Roy sighed. "Okay. That's at least something."

"It is? It's not much. Where do we go from here?"

"The phone book?" Chris offered.

"Directory assistance," Murray thought. "Maybe this Tom Ellers has a second home in Colorado."

"It's worth a shot."

Chris picked up the phone and dialed the operator.

"Hello. I'm looking for the number of Tom Ellers in San Francisco."

They waited on bated breath a few seconds.

"Yes please, connect me directly. Thank you," Chris announced as she held up crossed fingers.

* * *

Still framing her face with his hands, he released his lips from hers and smiled.

She looked at him with a mixed expression of shock, bliss and curiosity.

"A kiss will solve all your problems?" she asked.

"That and ... firing you."

Her eyes lit up.

"FIRING ME!? What for?"

"Sleeping with the boss," he humored as he lifted his eyebrows up and down.

She rolled her eyes. "You're incorrigible."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked playfully as he rested his hands on her hips.

"It's all about sex, isn't it?"

"No it isn't," he said, looking slightly offended. "Well ... not entirely …" he said lower, becoming more serious. "I'm talking about being a couple, C.J. Being partners _outside_ the work place."

She stared back at him, shocked, and moreover perplexed. Did she hear him right?

"A couple?"

"Uh huh."

"Outside the work place?"

"Uh huh. The way I see it, if we were a couple, a multitude of positive things would come from it."

"Like..."

"For one, you wouldn't have to worry about sleeping alone and could therefore forego the pain meds."

"Okay. Good point."

"Two, my heart could heal."

"You think I have that power?"

"I think _we_ have that power ... together."

"Okay. Keep going. You might be onto something."

"And three ... the conflict of us being romantically involved and working together would be resolved since you want out anyway. You'd be able to leave your job without leaving me."

"Interesting," she noted, seemingly processing all his points as a pragmatic lawyer would.

"So what do you say, Counselor?"

She locked eyes with him, studying his sincerity with her poker face, leaving him guessing as to what she was thinking. When it came to coaxing women into bed, Matt Houston was rarely insecure or unsuccessful. But this was C.J. She was different and this situation was different. He didn't want a quick fix to his dilemma. He wanted a very long and very stable commitment with one woman... this woman.

"Back up to that part about not sleeping alone anymore," she said as a smile crept onto her face.

He reciprocated her smile, relieved on two levels - intellectually and romantically - she was agreeing with his proposition.

Their lips met again, accompanied by arms enveloping one another. Their passion was obvious yet he knew he had to be gentle - she was still recovering from a stab wound after all. Their combined eternal happiness was finally in their grasp. Circumstances had practically forced them together – the omens were more obvious than the sun.


End file.
